Fender for cars.



F. M., ROUSH.

FENDER FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1911.

1,01 9,841 Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v a/rwsffflaasia aw/memo WW FEW MWQWM.

F. M. ROUSH.

FENDER FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1911.

1,019,841. Patented Mar. 12,1912

' SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1o 1 ll 9 20 B6 8 27 will? i I," 2/ If amen 1 :01,

J ami/[M00090 I8 CIJLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII cO.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFnioE.

FRANCIS M. HOUSE, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T RUBEN C. ROUSH, OF CANTON, OHIO.

FENDER FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 12, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. ROUSH, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fenders for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fenders for cars and adapted to be attached to the body of a car.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which can be easily attached to a car and when properly attached is adapted to automatically elevate the front or forward portion of the platform and move or carry any obstruction that may be struck toward the back of the fender and on to the fixed portion of the platform proper.

The purpose of the invention is more specifically designed to save the lives of persons struck by a moving car.

These objects and purposes readily apparout to those skilled in the art I attain by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, although my invention may be embodied in a variety of other mechanical forms, the construction illustrated being vchosen by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the fender in its normal position. Fig. 2 is an end view showing the parts in the same position as ,shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view showing the front or movable platform elevated and the front roller moved backward together with the parts designed to move with the backward movement of said front roller. Fig. 4 is a top view showing a portion of the platform.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In theaccompanying drawings, 1 represents the bar to which the fender proper is attached, which bar may constitute the front sill or extreme end of the car frame, which bar may be a part of the car frame or a specific bar, but relatively fixed with reference to the frame of the car. To the bar 1 are securely attached by means of the brackets 2 or their equivalents the downward extending bars 3, which bars are formed of a length suflicient to bring the platforms together with the different parts pertaining to said platforms near the surface of the road over which the car is to travel. For the purpose of preventing persons from being thrown under the car the space below the car is closed by suitable frame work, which in the present instance consists of the vertical bars t and the horizontal bars 5, which vertical and horizontal bars are connected together, and the horizontal bars properly connected to the downward extending bars or rods 3 or their equivalents. To the bottom or lower ends of the downward extending bars or rods 3 are attached the forward extending bars 6, which bars are formed of a length suflicient to provide means for connecting the various parts designed to be connected to said horizontal bars 6.

For the purpose of providing means for throwing the fender proper upward and against the end of the car when the same is placed in a barn, the forward extending bars (5 should be pivotally connected to the downwardly extending bars 3 in any convenient and well known manner. This feature is well understood and hence no detailed description is necessary.

For the purpose of holding the fender proper in its normal position or in the position shown in Fig. 1, the chains 7 or their equivalents are provided, the front ends of said chains are attached to the eye bolts 8, which eye bolts are connected to the relatively fixed platform. The rear ends of the chains are connected to the posts 9, which posts are provided at their top or upper ends with the slots 10, said slots being formed of suflicient size to receive a link of the chains 7, said links being held when placed in the slots by means of the adjacent links of the chain. It will be understood that by this arrangement the angularity of the fender proper can be adjusted by dropping different links of the chain in the slots 10.

The relatively fixed platform as shown is made up of slats 11 and 12, the slats 12 being secured to the bars 6 and the slats 11 secured to the slats 12; but it will be understood that the specific construction of the relatively fixed platform has no specific reference to the invention proper, as the only object so far as the relatively fixed platform is concerned is to provide means for supporting, holding and carrying persons or objects that may be thrown upon said relatively fixed platform. From the front or forward edge of the relatively fixed platform is extended a rocking platform preferably made up of slats 13 and 14, said slats being connected together in any convenient and well known manner. The rear portion of this rocking platform is pivotally connected to the forward portions of the bars 6 by means of the short shafts 15, which are journaled in the staples 16.

For the purpose hereinafter described, a sliding or rocking frame is provided which sliding or rocking frame is made up of the forward extending bars 17 and a suitable tie bar 18, said bars being connected together so as to produce a rigid frame. To the rear ends of the parallel bars are connected the inward curved bars or elbows 19, which elbows are provided with pins 20, which pins are located through the slots 21 formed in the trip bars 22, which trip bars are extended forward and upward and their forward ends pivotally connected to the posts 23, which posts are securely connected in any convenient and well known manner to the rocking platform located in front of the relatively fixed platform. In the forward ends of the bars 17 isjournaled the roller 24, which roller is formed'of a length to correspond with the width of the fender proper.

The operation of the device above described is substantially as follows: When the roller 24 strikes an-object the force or obstruction brought against the roller will move the roller backward toward the car proper, which movement carries the bars 17 backward and at the same time imparts a backward movement to the trip bars 22, which backward movement rocks the posts 23 thereby elevating the front or forward end of the rocking platform. For the purpose of preventing the rocking platform from being elevated at its front end, the instant the roller strikes any object the trip bars 22 are provided with the elongated slots 21 so as to allow the pins 20 to move in the slots for a short distance or until they strike the rear ends of the slots before any movement is imparted to the rocking platform. The object and purpose of thus allowing the roller to be moved backward a short distance before the rocking platform is brought into action is to prevent any injury which might result by a simultaneous backward movement of the roller and upward movement of the rocking platform. The bars 17 are mounted upon the short rock arms 25 formed upon the ends of the shaft 26, said rock arms being journaled in the bars 17 and so arranged that they will be thrown over their centers when the roller and its frame is brought into the position shown in Fig; 1, and also thrown backward over their centers when brought into the position shown in Fig. 3.

For the purpose of holding the bars 17 in proper relative position and forming guides for the movement of the elbows 19, the guide bars 27 are provided, which guide bars are secured to the bars 6.

For the purpose of limiting the forward and downward movement of the bars 17 the ment of the frame is stopped by reason of the elbows 19 striking the rear portions of the guide rods 27, said guide rods being so arranged that a slight rocking movement can be imparted to the bars 17 during their forward and rearward movements by reason. of the same being carried by the short rock arms 25.

For the purpose of supporting the front portion of the rocking platform, the tie bar 18 is so located that the front portion of the rocking platform will strike said tie bar when brought into its normal position.

' Having fully described my invention what EI claim as new and desire to secure by Letiters Patent, is

I 1. In a car fender, a frame secured to the body of a car, carrying platforms, one of said platforms relatively fixed with ref- ;erence to the frame and the other adapted to rock, a movable frame carried by the frame adapted to carry the relatively fixed platform, said movable frame provided with a roller, trip bars operatively connected to the movable frame, posts secured to the rocking platform and to the trip bars, and means for suspending the fender in substantially horizontal position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a car fender, a frame secured to the body of a car, carrying platforms, one of said platforms relatively fixed with reference to the frame and the other adapted to rock, a movable frame carried by the frame adapted to carry the relatively fixed platform, said movable frame provided with a roller, trip bars operatively connected to the movable frame, and provided with elongated slots, posts secured to the rocking platform and to the trip bars, and means for suspending the fender in substantially horizontal position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a car fender, the combination of a relatively fixed frame, platforms carried by said frame, one of said platforms fixed and i the other adapted to be rocked, a movableframe mounted upon the relatively fixed frame, said movable frame provided with.

a roller and means for rocking one of the platforms by the backward movement of the movable frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4;. In a car fender, the combination of a relatively fixed frame, platforms carried by said frame, one of said platforms fixed and the other adapted to be rocked, a movable frame mounted upon the relatively fixed frame, said movable frame provided with a roller and means for rocking one of the platforms by the backward movement of the movable frame, and means for limiting the downward movement of the movable frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a car fender of the class described, the combination of frames, one of said frames fixed and the other movable, the movable frame mounted upon rock arms, platforms carried by the fixed frame, one of said platforms pivotally mounted, pins secured to the fixed frame and adapted to support the movable frame in extended position, guide bars secured to the fixed frame, and means for rocking the pivoted platform, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a car fender of the classdescribed, the combination of frames, one of said frames fixed and the other movable, the movable frame mounted upon rock arms, platforms carried by the fixed frame, one of said platforms pivotally mounted, ins secured to the fixed frame and adapte to support the movable frame in extended position, guide bars secured to the fixed frame, means for rocking the pivoted platform, and means for suspending the fender in substantially horizontal posit-ion, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS M. ROUSI-I.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. MILLER, JOHN H. SPONSELLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, 

